Devils Pool

Danger-filled swimming at Victoria Falls

27.02.16

The famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia are a very popular tourist destination. Here, thousands of cubic metres of water plummet 110 metres into the depths every second – it’s breathtaking to look at! But for some holidaymakers, the view alone isn’t enough.

Picture: Instagram/wetravel2live

To go swimming in a waterfall – I’m sure some of you have already done that during your travels. It’s often possible to do it in the smaller ones as the currents aren’t too dangerous for swimmers… but could you ever imagine to go swimming in the gigantic Victoria Falls? I still can hardly believe there are people who actually go and do it. No, I’m not talking about daredevil escapades, but rather regular tourists who want to round off their holiday with a real adrenaline kick.

Devils Pool in Zambia

You can experience this for yourself (and take a few pictures as you’re doing it!) at Victoria Falls, a colossal waterfall between two African countries, Zimbabwe and Zambia. On the Zambian side a kind of basin has been formed over the course of thousands of centuries which brave visitors can dip into – in fact it almost looks like a pool! However as you can imagine it’s hardly like the conventional ones in hotels as if you’re not too careful things definitely won’t end too well for you here, hence why you can only go swimming in the Devils Pool when the water levels are low. The Zambesi River, the source of Victoria Falls, is low enough between May and October that swimming here is relatively safe.

Picture: twitter/travelgoals

As holidaymakers relax in the pool, thousands of cubic metres of water plummet endlessly into the depths – you can see the power of the sheer amount of water through the roaring spray that comes foaming out of the waterfall. The mists of spray rise up to 30 meters in the air. Of course you won’t be left entirely alone with this violent force of nature. Guides who are familiar with the area will show you the quite arduous paths to the Devils Pool and they make sure that no-one slides over the edge, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t happened before…several times. Going for a swim in the Devils Pool is anything but safe, but the view that you’ll have from the edge of the pool is simply breathtaking. Whether it’s worth the danger is something you’ll all have to decide for yourself. If you should ever fancy a dip in the Devil’s Pool there’s one thing you should never forget though: your camera!

Picture: Instagram/oreoleeds

I’ve already shown other breathtaking and dangerous places that capture the imagination of tourists looking to take extreme photos, but I’ve got to say the Devils Pool is probably one of the most extreme of all. Be honest – who would dare go for a paddle in Victoria Falls? Any volunteers?